Julius Reubke achieved a remarkable amount in his tragically
short life. By far his most significant compositions are the
Piano Sonata and the organ Sonata on the 94th Psalm,
both found on this enterprising recording of the complete piano
and
organ works.

Born in Hausneindorf in 1834, the son of the organ builder
Adolf Reubke, Julius later attended the conservatory in Berlin
where
he studied piano under Theodor Kullak. On the recommendation
of Hans von Bülow, he moved to Weimar to study with Franz
Liszt in 1856 and became one of his favourite pupils.

Alfred Brendel has given valuable advice about performing the
works of Liszt. He talks of the need to forget the physical
side of the keyboard and to create the illusion of structural
inevitability
from the frequently fragmentary structures. Like Liszt’s
greatest works, such as the B minor Sonata and ‘Ad nos’ Fantasy
and Fugue, Reubke’s sonatas are both truly a ‘phenomenon
of expressiveness’. They make severe demands on the performer
and listener, but in a recording such as this serve to highlight
further the importance of Reubke’s musical contribution
to the New German School.

The CD begins with a big-boned, muscular performance of the Sonata
in B flat minor by pianist Paolo Marzocchi, barn-storming when
needed but also suitably expressive in the central Andante
sostenuto. One can almost imagine Reubke’s frustration
at the limitations of the piano, wishing he were writing for
a full orchestra. Despite some fine performances of late, including
Anthony Hewitt’s on Divine Art, my preference still remains
the recording by Till Fellner, originally released on Erato and
later on Warner Classics budget Apex label. To my ears Fellner
manages to achieve Brendel’s synthesis with greater success,
fully integrating the technical challenges and retaining an almost
improvisatory expressive freedom without sacrificing structural
unity. This is playing of extreme sophistication matched by an
excellent recording, more refined than Marzocchi’s.

Marzocchi’s performances of the Scherzo and Mazurka are
both excellent, and I particularly liked his limpid, cantabile
playing in the central section of the Scherzo. Both pieces
are student works and owe a good deal to Chopin and Schumann,
but
are still highly impressive given the age of the composer.

In the organ works Luca Scandali plays the Ladegast organ in
the cathedral of Schwerin, enabling us to hear the music on
an ‘authentic’ instrument.
Not only is this fascinating but Scandali also offers us impressive
and stylish performances. The Adagio in E minor is dubbed a ‘world
first recording’ and is certainly interesting to hear;
it is the first version of what was subsequently to become
the central section of the Sonata. The Trio is charming - not
great
music but well worth hearing.

The Sonata in C minor is given a dramatic and lyrical performance.
If anything the instrument highlights the emotional turbulence
of the programme, matched by the suitably spacious recording.
The action noise could be intrusive for some but one soon adapts.

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